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Nen
Nen (念 lit. ''thought) is one of the defining features of Yoshihiro Togashi's manga Hunter × Hunter. It is an energy created within the body that can be utilized and manipulated in a variety of ways by a skilled user. Within the series, this energy is referred to as one's aura (オーラ ōra). =What is a Nen ability?= A skill to utilize 'life energy,' aka 'aura' Nen is an energy produced by the human body. A skill to utilize or enhance Nen is called a Nen ability. Nen, which has a profound connection with both the mind and the body, can be regarded as the total energy of a human. So far, there have been very few people who can use Nen without training. Those who are born with the ability to use Nen are often venerated as immortals, geniuses or people with supernatural powers. Nen is such a special energy. Furthermore, there is usually some Nen left on the works of great artists2004 Databook, p.90. What can Nen be used for? Basically, Nen is used for attack and defense. Nen attacks are particularly effective against ordinary people, who are incapable of using Nen, and can cause them irreparable or even mortal damage. Because Nen attacks use life energy, they are better suited for killing than inanimate objects. In addition to that, there are very many ways to attack with Nen, for example enhancing the body, strengthening the weapon, or conjuring weapons out of Nen. The possibilities are, in theory, limitless, only bound by an user's imagination. Furthermore, there are people who have acquired unique Nen skills such as healing, prophesying, counterfeiting, and creating doppelgangers2004 Databook, p.91. How to awaken Nen? The human body has countless pores from which aura can flow out called ''Aura Nodes (精孔 shōkō). By opening these aura nodes, thus activating the flow of aura, Nen will be awakened. There are 2 methods of awakening Nen. The first one is slowly kindling it through meditation. The other method is asking another Nen user to force the aura nodes to open with Nen. After that Nen should only be used in emergencies because there have been cases of people with no Nen expertise dying due to using it rashly. The first method is also dependent on the talent of the person in question; gifted people will have their Nen awakened within several weeks. Quantification of aura Sometimes one wants to calculate and express the decrease or increase in Nen as a number, such as 'How much aura can be stored in the body?' and 'How much aura can be released at a time?'. Remembering the following will be very useful for combat: *MOP (maximum ōra power): the maximum aura capacity of the body. A user's actual Nen power can be estimated using this number. A greater MOP indicates a more powerful Nen. *POP (potential ōra power): the amount of latent aura of the body. Just before a battle, aura is consumed at the rate of 1 point per second, but during the battle, the rate goes up to 6 to 10 points per second. *AOP (actual ōra power): the amount of aura that can be emitted. A user with a higher AOP is more capable of performing powerful techniques. However, that may cause POP to be used up quickly. =Nen training= The Four Fundamentals, namely Ten, Zetsu, Ren ''and ''Hatsu, are the most basic elements in using Nen and the first step of Nen training is to learn them. This section explains these 4 techniques in detail. Ten (纏) This technique allows a Nen user to contain aura by enfolding their body with it. All human beings possess aura but unbeknown to most of them, it slowly leaks away. Making aura stay around the body is called Ten (纏 lit. wrap around). This is the most basic technique. Thanks to it, the body will be strengthened and the aging process can also be slowed down. It is best to adopt a natural posture when practicing Ten2004 Databook, p.92. Zetsu (絶) Zetsu (絶 lit. sever, suppress) stops the flow of aura from the body completely. It is a technique whereby a user suppresses the Nen formed by using Ten surrounding them and suspends the natural small leakage of aura from their body. It closes all of the aura nodes so that Nen is fully contained within the body therefore it can help the user to erase their presence or recover from fatigue. If Zetsu is executed properly the user will be hard to detect. Thus it is very suitable for clandestine actions. However, Zetsu must be used carefully because it leaves the user's body defenseless against the enemy's Nen. In Zetsu state, it is very dangerous to even take a weak Nen attack, or to come into contact with the enemy's Nen. Ren (練) Ren (練 lit. practice) involves training with and improve the aura formed by using Ten. In this technique, the user expands their aura nodes and generates more aura than normalVol 13, p.128 while keeping it from flowing away. If practiced properly, Ren will allow the user to produce and use unusual amounts of aura. It can be compared to a basic physical exercise, which means it is essential for anyone who wants to become strong. The moment when a Nen user shows their Ren is the best moment to evaluate their potential2004 Databook, p.93. Hatsu (発) Hatsu (発 lit. release) is the technique of freely releasing the aura cultivated by Ren and is the last one of the four fundamental Nen techniques. From simple abilities like Gon's Jajanken to crafty abilities like Hisoka's Bungee Gum, every single one of them makes use of Hatsu. It is truly both broad and deep. Practising Ten and Ren earnestly can help a Nen user learn Hatsu, which is very difficult, quickly. Fake Fundamentals Because Nen can be turned into dangerous weapons, it must not be taught to outsiders carelessly. For that reason, some Nen masters devised a fake set of Four Fundamentals in which the real Nen terms are either replaced by homophones or are explained incorrectly, for example, the true Nen (念 lit. thought) is replaced by the fake Nen (燃 lit. inflame). Nonetheless, these fake techniques are useful for mind training and therefore Nen users can still benefit from them: =The Nen system= Understanding the Nen type hexagon Nen is divided into 6 categories: Conjuration, Emission, Enhancement, Manipulation, Transmutation and Specialization '''. Which category one falls into depends on what they are born with, their desires and the environment they grow up in. With the exception of Specialization, for any Nen user, learning the Nen type that is at the opposite corner on a main diagonal is the most difficult and practising adjacent Nen types is the easiest. For example, a Transmutter will find learning Manipulation techniques the hardest, but they can easily become skilled at Enhancement and Conjuration2004 Databook, p.94. In general, it is good enough for a person to practise only their Nen type, but sometimes, practising other types can help the development of their own type. The additional types that they should practise are the ones next to their own type on the Nen type hexagon chart. For example, an Enhancer like Gon should also improve his skills in Emission and Transmutation. However, the basic rule is that one only practises one type a dayVol 15, p.89. Identifying Nen types through Water Divination One of the first steps that anyone who wants to become a first-class Nen user takes is finding out what their Nen type is. By using '''Water Divination of Shingen-ryu (心源流 lit. Shingen style), they can easily know what category of Nen they belong to. This method is very simple: filling a glass with water, putting a leaf on the surface of the water, cupping hands around the glass and performing Ren. One's Nen type is revealed by what happens: *If impurities appear in the water, the user is a Conjurer. *If the color of the water changes, the user is an Emitter. *If the volume of the water changes, the user is an Enhancer. *If the leaf moves, the user is a Manipulator. *If the taste of the water changes, the user is a Transmutter. *If any other change happens, the user is a Specialist'2004 Databook, p.95. Types of Nen 'Enhancement (強化 Kyouka) If a student increases the quantity of water in the glass during their water divination, they are an Enhancer. Enhancement is basically the ability to use nen to increase the efficiency (strengthen) of an object or body. Therefore, Enhancers are able to greatly increase their physical attack and defense, and are best suited for close-melee combat. Enhancement is the most well-balanced category, allowing users to spread themselves evenly between offense and defense and become very strong using only simple abilities. Examples of more complex Enhancement abilities include enhancing a person's ability to repair themselves, which is basically the equivalent of a healing-ability. According to Hisoka, Enhancers are generally "simple" and "determined". Users in this category include Gon and Uvogin. Notable Enhancers include: *Gon Freecs *Uvogin *Phinks *Nobunaga *Maha Zoldyck (great grandfather of Killua) 'Emission' (放出''Houshutsu'') If a student changes the color of the water in the glass during their water divination, they are an Emitter. An affinity for Emission means that a user is capable of controlling the deployment of their aura while separating it from their body. Nen usually loses power very quickly when it is separated from the source-body, but strong Emitters can separate their aura from their body for long-periods of time and still be able to maintain it. An application of this is the ability to throw giant nen balls. Emission abilities are commonly mistaken for Conjuration abilities. The two, however, are fundamentally different. Objects created by Emitters are made of pure aura, believed to be invisible to normal people, and requires Manipulation skills to control. Hisoka claims that Emitters are "impatient" and "not detail-oriented." Notable Emitters include: *Franklin *Razor *Melody *Pokkle 'Manipulation' (操作 Sousa) If a student moves the leaf floating on the water in the glass during their water divination, they're a Manipulator. Manipulation is the ability to control other people or other non-living material. Abilities belonging to Manipulators tend to be more complex, and generally require certain conditions to be met before the user is able to control the target object. {C An example of a Manipulator is Shalnark, who can control people by placing a phone antenna on their body. Another Manipulator is Baise, who can control people by kissing them. According to Hisoka, Manipulators are logical people who advance at their own pace. {C Notable Manipulators include *Illumi Zoldyck *Shalnark *Kalluto Zoldyck *Zushi 'Conjuration' (具現化 Gugenka) If a student creates an object in the water in the glass during the their water divination, they are a Conjurer. Conjuration is the ability to create a physical, independent, material object out of nen. Once a nen-user has mastered the conjuration of a certain object, they can conjure it and dispel it in an instant, whenever they want. It is believed that conjuration is the only way in which nen can create things which ordinary people (who don't use nen) can see and touch. Conjured objects can have special abilities imbued into them. An example of this is Shizuku's ability - a conjured vacuum cleaner that can infinitely suck up objects, but with the condition that it can't suck up living things. Like Manipulation nen, conditions can be set into conjured objects to make them stronger. Kortopi, for example, is able to materialize a perfect copy of any non-living object that he touches. However, all of his materialized objects will automatically disappear after 24 hours. Like Manipulation, Conjuration abilities tend to be very specific, complex, and conditional. In terms of personality, Hisoka claims Conjurers are generally very "high-strung" people. Notable Conjurers include *Kite *Kurapika *Shizuku *Kortopi 'Transmutation' (変化 Henka) If a student changes the taste of the water in the glass during their water divination, they're a Transmuter. An affinity for transmutation means a user can change the properties of their nen, usually so that it mimics something else. Like emission, things created via transmutation are still pure nen. A simple way of thinking about it would be that transmutation allows your nen to mimic properties of a substance, whereas conjuration allows you to change your nen into actual material. {C Nen can copy properties of real things, for example, Killua uses his nen to copy the properties of electricity. Transmuters can also give their nen properties that don't necessarily mimic real things; Hisoka's "Bungee Gum" copies and combines the properties of rubber and gum. Transmuted substances are invisible to normal people (i.e. those who are not able to use nen). {C According to Hisoka, Transmuters are generally "whimsical liars". Notable Transmuters include; *Hisoka *Biscuit Krueger *Machi *Zeno Zoldyck *Silva Zoldyck *Killua Zoldyck 'Specialization' (特質 Tokushitsu) If a student causes some other effect during their water divination, they're a Specialist. It is possible that the effect that occurs can give some insight into how they should direct their ability. Specialization is anything that doesn't belong into the other five categories. This is the most vague Hatsu-category. For example, Kurapika's Specialization ability allows him to use all the five standard nen-types at 100% efficiency. Chrollo's Specialization ability is a combination of the other five types, but in a way that no normal nen-user can use. While Neon's Specialization ability is something that is simply unique, it has almost no relevance to any of the other five nen types. Specialists are said by Hisoka to be very "independent" and "charismatic". One should also note that it is possible to become a Specialist later in life, although this is more likely for Manipulators or Conjurers. Notable Specialists include *Chrollo Lucifer *Pakunoda *Knuckle Bine *Neferpitou *Kurapika (only in Emperor Time status) Geniuses Nen is like any other skill, in that there are those who will learn it faster than others. There are also individuals that can use facilities of nen without having any formal training. This can be anything from being able to use the basic techniques of nen without even realising it, or unconsciously developing a unique nen ability that can be used without the user really understanding how or why they are able to do so. =Advanced Techniques= These are the more advanced techniques. Most of them are achieved by using a combination of the basic techniques. Most nen users learn Ten, Zetsu and Ren first before attempting these techniques. The Hatsu, being a nen-user's individual 'skill', is often something that a nen-user will develop gradually over a long period of time. Shū (周) Shū is the advanced form of Ten. Shū allows a Nen-user to extend their aura to an object, allowing them to "use" that object as if it were an extension of their own body. For example, one could use Shū to extend their Ten around an object (and not just their body), which would strengthen and protect the object like the way Ren strengthens and protects the body. This is the technique that allows Hisoka to make his solitaire cards as sharp and as hard as metal knives. En (圓) En is an advanced application of Ren and Ten. In Ren, aura usually envelops only a small amount of space around the user's body. En is when one extends their Ren so that their aura extends further than normal, then uses Ten at the same time to give shape to the aura, usually a sphere. Someone using En can feel the shape and movement of anything entering their En-covered area. The downside to this is that it is extremely tiring and draining for the nen-user to constantly deploy so much aura. Those who master En are typically able to extend their En to a circle of 50m radius. There are exceptions -Zeno Zoldyck, one of the most powerful assassins alive, is able to extend his En to a radius of 300m. Also, the chimera ant Neferpitou, has an irregularly shaped En and can extend a tendril of it up to two miles away. Ken (堅) Ken is the advanced version of the the basic Ren technique. Ken is a defensive technique where a Nen-user maintains a state of Ren over their entire body, allowing them to defend against attacks from any direction without the need to use Gyō (described below). Ken is as useful as a defensive position, but is tiring to maintain. Additionally, it is not as strong as Gyō on any given part of the body, since it protects the whole body evenly. Because of that, it is used to guard when one wants to be cautious. In (隱) In is an advanced form of Zetsu that can almost completely hide a Nen-user. In can also be used on a Nen-user's Hatsu ability (more information on why some Hatsu abilities are visible can be found in the Hatsu category section) to make it invisible to other nen users. In can be countered by using Gyō on the eyes, or by using the technique En. Gyō (凝) Gyō is a technique where a Nen-user concentrates a larger than normal portion of their aura into one specific body part. This ability to concentrate the aura is known as Gyō. Gyō increases the strength of that one body part, but leaves the rest of your body more vulnerable. Kō (硬) Kō is the strong form of Gyō, where all of an individual's Nen-energy is concentrated into one particular body part. Zetsu is used to completely stop the flow of Nen in all other parts of the body. This makes that one body part exceptionally powerful, but leaves the rest of the body completely unprotected. This is used by some Nen-users as an offensive technique (a Kō-punch would carry all 100% of your Nen-power with it), but it is a risky move (leaving the rest of your body unprotected in a fight against another Nen-user is not generally a good idea). Ryū (流) Ryū ("flow") is the term for real-time use of Gyō (adjustment of aura concentration in various body parts) by a Nen-user in battle. For example, the use of Gyō to increase the amount of Nen in a fist as one strikes with it, to increase damage done; or to increase the amount of Nen in an arm as it is used to block a blow, for extra defense. =Notes= *It generally requires dedicated training to be able to use Nen. Children do not have many distracting thoughts thus one can expect that there are a good number of child Nen users. However, only a very few of them are strong fighters. *Nen evolves or develops in accordance with the purposes of the user. Most children have very low Nen combat capacity because they usually practise Nen not for fighting. *Nen is life energy. If a Nen user dies with a vengeance or a longing, the Nen left behind by them will have stronger effects on their enemy or the object of their affection. *A person with a Nen-based restriction imposed upon them by a Manipulator or a Conjurer can only ask another Nen user to remove it for them. Those who have the ability to remove other people's Nen are called Exorcists (除念師 jonenshi). *There are very few Exorcists. And even fewer are the experts who can remove the intensified Nen left by dead people. In the whole world, there are no more than 10 such experts. =References= Category:Hunter x Hunter